Band lore states that their name came from both a flippant reference to Adolf Hitler's dog Blondie as well as vocalist Harry's bright blond hair. Previously having been a Playboy Bunny, Harry fronted the early version of the band. initially known as "Angel and the Snakes". They built up underground fame in NYC. Blondie released their first album, 'Blondie', in 1976. The album was mildly successful and spawned the Australian hit single "In The Flesh". Gary Valentine left the band later that year, and they continued briefly as a foursome, recording 'Plastic Letters' and gaining more airplay with their track "Denis". Still in touch with their punk roots, having played in clubs such as CBGBs and hung out with rock artists such as the Ramones, the band broke out into other, more diverse influences such as older dance and pop music, particularly interested in Phil Spector's 'wall of sound' technique.
Valentine was replaced by Los Angeles-based musician Frank Infante (guitar, bass guitar) in 1977. Infante had already played guitar on one track on 'Plastic Letters'. The band went out playing live with Infante and Stein swopping between playing guitar and bass guitar throughout each concert. The band also added British born but LA-based Nigel Harrison (bass guitar), making Blondie a six piece group for the first time. Harrison was a former member of the glam rock band Silverhead.
In 1978, they released the album that would make them international stars, titled 'Parallel Lines'. The album spawned several hit singles, including the number one hit "Heart Of Glass", "Sunday Girl", "Hanging On The Telephone" (a cover of the famous power pop track by The Nerves), and "One Way Or Another". The success of the heavily disco influenced "Heart of Glass", a song sometimes censored for its use of strong language for the time and considered by the band as tongue-in-cheek, proved controversial among many fans of the band's punk background, but it managed to break them through at a massive level.
They released three more albums (1979's Eat To The Beat, 1980's Autoamerican (containing the number one singles "The Tide Is High" and "Rapture") and 1982's The Hunter) as well as a number one single "Call Me", from the score of the 1980 film "American Gigolo".
In 1980, Harrison contributed several unused Blondie songs to ex-Silverhead singer Michael Des Barres solo album I'm Only Human. In 1981, Harry released a solo album Koo Koo, Destri released a solo album Heart On A Wall. Burke recorded and played live with the Eurythmics, and Stein started a record label named Animal Records.
In 1982, health problems for Stein, declining sales and inter-band tension caused the band to split. Harry kept a low profile for a few years while she nursed (now former) boyfriend Stein through a serious illness, but then continued a solo career as an actress/singer.
Reformation plans begun in 1997 with a line-up that included Harry, Stein, Destri, Burke, Valentine, and Harrison. Infante was not invited to the reunion. Valentine and Harrison were eventually (and unceremoniously, they claim) replaced by Paul Carbonara (guitar) and Leigh Foxx (bass).
The band released No Exit in 1998, which did quite well in both US and UK charts and contained the number one hit single "Maria".
The album did not include any song contributions from Valentine or Harrison, despite them recording early sessions for the album and Valentine being assured by Stein that they would use his already recorded song "Amor Fati". Harrison and Infante later filed an unsuccessful lawsuit claiming breach of contract for not including them in the reunion.
The Curse Of Blondie was released in 2003 and, while not matching its predecessor in sales, was critically acclaimed and spawned the global dance hit "Good Boys".
Destri retired from touring in 2004. Kevin Patrick (keyboards), Destri's former keyboard tech and assistant, replaced him soon followed by Matt Katz-Bohen in 2008.
The band's 2006 induction ceremony into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame was the scene of an awkward moment between Infante and Harry, during which he asked that the former members be allowed to play along with fellow inductees Harry, Stein and Burke during the band's set, since it was the original band that was being inducted. Harry replied "Can't you see my band is up there?" prompting Infante to counter "I thought it was Blondie that was being inducted."
In 2006, the band toured as the opening act for The New Cars on the "Road Rage Tour." Although Harry was more than 60 years old, the band still managed incendiary versions of their old hits, while playing with enough fire to remind the audience of their punk roots.
In 2007, the band embarked on a tour of Europe, to coincide with the DVD release of the first ever music video album "Eat To The Beat".
Harry has since resumed her solo career, releasing 2007's Necessary Evil.
On June 5, 2008, Blondie commenced a world tour to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Parallel Lines with a concert at Ram's Head Live in Baltimore, Maryland. The tour covered some Eastern and Midwestern US cities throughout the month of June. In July, the tour took the band overseas to Israel, the UK, Russia, Europe and Scandinavia, wrapping up on August 2, 2008 at Rockefeller in Oslo, Norway.
Clem Burke and Paul Carbonara both recently told interviewers that the band is working on another record, which would be their first new album since the release of The Curse of Blondie in 2003. Carbonara described it as "a real Blondie record.
Blondie undertook a North American tour of mid-sized venues with Pat Benatar and The Donnas in the summer of 2009. Following the tour, in October, the band began recording sessions for their ninth studio album with producer Jeff Saltzman in Woodstock, New York. In December 2009, the band released the song "We Three Kings" to coincide with the Christmas holiday.
The new album, to be titled Panic of Girls, which was being mixed at the time, was said to follow in 2010. Chris Stein stated that Dutch artist Chris Berens will provide the cover art. In April 2010, it was announced that guitarist Paul Carbonara had amicably left Blondie to pursue other projects and was replaced by Tommy Kessler. Panic of Girls is tentatively set to be released in 2010/2011.
In June 2010, Blondie began the first leg of a world tour named "Endangered Species Tour", which covered the United Kingdom and Ireland, supported by UK band Little Fish. The set lists featured both classics and new material from the forthcoming Panic of Girls. After a break in July the tour will resume in August and cover the United States and Canada over a course of six weeks. Blondie is then set to take the "Endangered Species Tour" to Australia and New Zealand in November and December. It was revealed that the bands album will be released on the Australian Sony label in November 2010, and elsewhere in January 2011.
Songfacts reports that Mother, the first single from Panic of Girls received its global premiere on BBC Radio on March 17th, 2011 and was made available for purchase on May 23, 2011.
In May 2017 a new album was released named Pollinator with the single "Long Time" which saw the daylight in March.
In 2021, the band released a short film along with a soundtrack EP titled Vivir en la Habana. They also released an alternate version of their song Rapture titled “Yuletide Throwdown” which featured Fab 5 Freddy.
In 2022, Blondie released a Sunday Girl EP consisting of an unreleased demo and live version
of the song as well as the previously released french version of the track in honor of Record Store Day. The band went on a UK tour with support from Johnny Marr followed by a US tour with support from The Damned titled “Against The Odds Tour”, which Chris Stein did not attend due to health problems. They also announced the release of their first archival project and box set, titled Against The Odds: 1974 - 1982, which took six years to compile, began recording their twelfth studio album and remastered their music videos in HD.
Denise
Blondie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Denis, ooh-be-do, I'm in love with you
Denis, ooh-be-do, I'm in love with you
Denis, Denis, oh with your eyes so blue
Denis, Denis, I've got a crush on you
Denis, Denis, I'm so in love with you
And when we talk, it seems like paradise
Denis, Denis, I'm so in love with you
You're my king and I'm in heaven every time I look at you
When you smile it's like a dream
And I'm so lucky, 'cause I found a boy like you
Denis, Denis, avec tes yeux si bleus
Denis, Denis, Quand j'ai peche' pour deux
Denis, Denis, Pour un baiser d'eternite'
Denis, Denis, Je suis folle de toi
Denis, Denis, Embrasse moi ce soir
Denis, Denis, Pour un baiser d'eternite
Oh Denis, ooh-be-do, I'm in love with you
Denis, ooh-be-do, I'm in love with you
Denis, ooh-be-do, I'm in love with you
Blondie's "Denise" is a love song that portrays the excitement of a teenage crush. The lyrics express the singer's strong feelings of love towards her crush, Denis. Throughout the song, she repeats the phrase "Denis, ooh-be-do, I'm in love with you" with infectious joy and enthusiasm. The singer describes how she feels when she is with Denis, how it seems like paradise when they talk and walk together. She also describes how lucky she feels to have found someone like him and how she believes he is her king. The French verses add to the charm of the song, which is about a boy who is making the singer feel like she is in heaven.
The chorus is the most prominent part of the song, and it's easy to understand why. It is infectious and instantly recognizable, making it a classic pop song that remains popular even today. The lyrics are simple, but they capture the innocence of a teenager's first crush. The song, "Denise," is an iconic Blondie song that can be enjoyed by people of all ages and backgrounds.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Denis, ooh-be-do, I'm in love with you
The singer expresses their deep affection for Denis.
Denis, Denis, oh with your eyes so blue
The singer admires Denis' blue eyes.
Denis, Denis, I've got a crush on you
The singer has a romantic interest in Denis.
Denis, Denis, I'm so in love with you
The artist is deeply in love with Denis.
Oh when we walk it always feels so nice
The artist enjoys spending time walking with Denis.
And when we talk, it seems like paradise
The singer feels a strong connection with Denis when they talk together.
Denis, Denis, I'm so in love with you
The singer continues to express their strong love for Denis.
You're my king and I'm in heaven every time I look at you
Denis is the artist's love and causes them to feel immense happiness.
When you smile it's like a dream
Denis' smiles make the artist feel like they are in a dream.
And I'm so lucky, 'cause I found a boy like you
The artist feels fortunate to have found someone as wonderful as Denis.
Denis, Denis, avec tes yeux si bleus
The singer addresses Denis directly, mentioning his blue eyes in French.
Denis, Denis, Quand j'ai peche' pour deux
The artist implies a romantic rendezvous with Denis in French.
Denis, Denis, Pour un baiser d'eternite'
The singer expresses their desire for an eternal kiss with Denis in French.
Denis, Denis, Je suis folle de toi
The singer proclaims their madness (in love) for Denis in French.
Denis, Denis, Embrasse moi ce soir
The singer asks Denis to kiss them tonight in French.
Denis, Denis, Pour un baiser d'eternite
The artist restates their desire for an eternal kiss with Denis in French.
Oh Denis, ooh-be-do, I'm in love with you
The artist repeats their declaration of love for Denis.
Denis, ooh-be-do, I'm in love with you
The singer reiterates their love for Denis.
Denis, ooh-be-do, I'm in love with you
The singer repeats their strong affection for Denis.
Contributed by Miles Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mahmoodkadir6772
They were not just pretty faces, they made great music. This is my favourite
@thendanceon
When you say Blondie people tend to think of Debbie Harry but the band was pretty good too. The French also adds a bit of " Je ne sais quoi ".
@DrWhom
it is a cover
@deaddocreallydeaddoc5244
@thendanceon Jais sais quoi! Ces't le meme du Brigette Bardot! Viva les femmes!
@benhenningburk9781
Pretty Faces? Debbie is the only pretty face in the band.
@bobinouc598
Um, Chris Stein was and still is very handsome.
@nilswestman4013
Clem never made it easy for himself but he played the drums perfect.
Maybe one of the best pop drummers ever.
@denisepaul7274
My boyfriend always played this for me at all our parties when everyone was on the dance floor. Good times great memories
@PKO1963
Dennis the menace should have cut his hair... Before Peroxide Blonde Julie Newmar started giving Cat Woman lessons to Subway travelers.
......and Dreaming :O)